Novel Review: The Evolution of Mara Dyer (Mara Dyer, #2) by Michelle Hodkin

Rating (Out of 5): ~4

Genre: YA Paranormal Psychological Romance

Publisher: Simon and Schuster

Release Date: October, 2012

Spoilers?: No.

Buy it here: Amazon. Barnes and Noble. Book Depository. Powells.

Teaser Tuesday. Wishlist Thursday.

Goodreads Synopsis:

The truth about Mara Dyer's dangerous and mysterious abilities continues to unravel in the New York Times bestselling sequel to the thrilling The Unbecoming of Mara Dyer.

Mara Dyer once believed she could run from her past.

She can't.

She used to think her problems were all in her head.

They aren't.

She couldn't imagine that after everything she's been through, the boy she loves would still be keeping secrets.

She's wrong.

In this gripping sequel to The Unbecoming of Mara Dyer, the truth evolves and choices prove deadly. What will become of Mara Dyer next?

The Cover:

I love the covers in this series. They're so pretty, the meaning behind them, they represent something deeper in the books, and I love it. In this one, they're reaching for each other, and that really works for Mara and Noah in this book. Plus, the physical covers have that felt thing to them (I don't know what it's called), and I've really grown to like that.

Quotes:

• "You will love him to ruins.” (Paperback, pg. 1)
  
• "'If she’s a hero, she’ll use her powers for good and defeat it. If she’s a villain, she’ll give in to it. Become it. And whoever the hero is will probably defeat her.’” (Pg. 144)
• "'Sometimes the biggest secrets you can only tell a stranger.’” (Pg. 256)
• "'There is no truth,’ Stephanie said mysteriously. ‘Only perspective.’” (Pg. 257)
• "I’ll walk forever with stories inside me that the people I love the most can never hear.” (Pg. 258)
• "'You’re stronger than you believe. Don’t let your fear own you. Own yourself.’” (Pg. 349)

Review:

This was not quite what I was expecting. Mostly the plot point/reason that was revealed. Still a very good book, though.

I am still immensely intrigued by Mara and what she can do, and Noah and what he can do. How it all works, the extent of it, the reason. Some things were revealed, but there are still a lot of questions left.

I still really like Mara and Noah, together and apart. They are very good characters, who have me very interested. They have very clear problems, but I like seeing their progression and development. I want to get to know Noah better, too.  Them as a couple is really nice, too. There were a couple scenes in this book that were really nice between them. Hot, but also really sweet.

I love Mara’s family; they’re frustrating at times, but they do really love her, and that’s nice to see. I really want to know about Mara's past, and the glimpses we got (either of her or an ancestor) were really interesting.

I am extremely impressed with how Mara’s problems are portrayed. It’s so easy to believe that certain things are hallucinations, and certain things aren’t. It’s so hard to tell sometimes. Her struggle with if it’s real or not, believing that it is but being told that it’s not so forcefully, is really believable. It had me questioning several times, and just marveling at it, since I know that it can’t be hallucinated.

The plot point revealed near the end had me surprised, because I really wasn’t expecting this series to go in that direction. It has me interested, but also a little wary. Definitely intrigued, though, to see where it goes next. 

The next book is going to be fantastic, I can tell, and I’m really excited to see how it all wraps up, where it goes.